Galleons and Gangplanks
by Sean Michael
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Book Summary Information
Author: Sean MichaelContributor: Mychael Black
Contributor: Julia Talbot
Contributor: Willa Okati
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-07-14
ISBN: 1603700064
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Torquere Press
Book Reviews of Galleons and Gangplanks
Book Review: Four lustful, high sea tales
Summary: 5 Stars
"Searching the Seas" by Sean Michael
Abraham Sawyer had once lived a life of ease and affluence, the heir of a titled and wealthy family, but all that had vanished in a heartbeat when he was caught in a moment of passion with his young male servant. The servant had been horribly beaten and thrown into the ocean as if he were a foul piece of garbage, and Abraham, a young man himself, had been banished from his home and family. When the story opens many years have passed, and Abraham has made a new life for himself on the island of St. Mary's. He's grown into a giant of a man, large and imposing, an asset for his profession of gaol master.
Then one day a pirate ship arrives with a passenger who needs medical attention along with her family, and Abraham is taken onboard the ship as a willing captive, to assure the safety of those left behind on the island. The pirate captain, Redding, is a bold, foppish man, taunting Abraham during the tense negotiations, the pirate's eyes dark and penetrating, full of secrets. And later in the privacy of Redding's quarters on the ship, Abraham is confronted with the truth of his situation and with a ghost from his past.
Sean has penned a romantic, captivating read sprinkled with a generous dash of adventure and danger. Redding is a dangerous man, a strong and respected leader of his band of pirates, but a man with a vulnerable heart and scarred body who had been searching the seas for something that he had once lost. Abraham, despite his size, is a gentle man, but solid and strong, fiercely protective and loyal to those that he was sworn to protect, and to the one who had once held his heart. The story focuses on the relationship of Redding and Abraham, the sex scenes plentiful and explicit, but nicely blended with warm moments of companionship and the other smaller moments of danger.
"The White City" by Julia Talbot
Set in the city of Algiers, this action-packed story centers on three privateers of the Barbary Coast. Jeremiah "Jem" Nettles, son of a vicar, is an educated man, who was impressed into service as a young man and is now the First Mate of the Adrianna Gayle. For the past three years Jem has been a thorn in the side of Sharim Reis, a rival privateer, and Sharim has placed a price on Jem's head of fifty gold pieces. When the story opens, Hakim Reis, a man of many secrets, has finally captured the notorious Jem. Hakim is fascinated by Jem's intense green eyes, reminding him of another place and another time, and by his spirit and passion, so naturally Hakim decides to keep Jem for himself.
Talbot utilizes an engaging narrative, in first person and strategically maneuvering between Jem and Hakim, intensifying their game of wits, as if the men were playing a tense game of chess. And as the reader I deliciously felt the ratcheting tension between the two men, leaving me anxious and waiting to see who was going to checkmate first. Their attraction is immediate and volatile, both Jem and Hakim strong-willed and determined to conquer the other, as their passion feeds off each other's need.
While the intimate encounters were extremely satisfying, the sex scenes are more of a backdrop and introduction to the characters, with the action taking center stage in this tale once the characters are established. There are well-plotted edge of your seat scenes of Sharim Reis' evilness, of a daring escape out of the city and of the climactic battle onboard the Adrianna Gayle. I did have a problem with a certain aspect of Jem's characterization, because it seemed he was more interested in his role of sex slave than in escape and his responsibilities of first mate.
"Fool's Gold" by Mychael Black
When our story opens Silas Christian, illegitimate son and only heir to Captain Lords' fortune, is breaking one Ian Bowers, former first mate and former lover of Captain Jack Lords, out of prison. Jack and Ian were pirates, and the "fortune" was the ill-gotten gains of their plundering profession. It seems Ian was the only person left alive who knew where the loot was hidden, so Silas had need of the former first mate, therefore he's bustin' out the crusty ol' sea dog. And just in the nick of time, since there was hangman's noose with Ian's name engraved on it.
Ian is nearly forty years of age, and those advanced years combined with nearly a lifetime of sailing the high seas as a pirate has honed his intuitive skills, but when Silas comes along all that hard-earned knowledge goes flying right out the porthole. Silas is such a fascinating character, innocent with a touch of world-weariness belying his tender young age, but there's a lot more to Silas than meets Ian's eyes. The interplay between these two men is the real treasure of this story, and watching Silas turn the tables on Ian was a joy to behold. Silas keeps on redefining the rules of engagement on Ian, which keeps Ian spry and on his toes, not to mention it thoroughly entertains the reader.
Mychael delivers a delicious high seas romp in the most desirous of fashion sweetening it with lush, sensually evocative prose. The point of view stays with Ian throughout the entire read, which keeps Silas shrouded in his enigmatic cloak, while Myc opens several windows into Ian's past allowing us to see the younger man who had once lost his heart to a pirate's captain. And the same yearning that had cursed Ian and Jack's happiness also shadow the chances for Silas and Ian's future. The story unfurls in two parts, the first part filled with adventurous pirating action, while the second part focused more on the emotional fallout of their piratical adventuring. But as Ian soon discovers, Silas is truly his father's son.
"Of Boats and Blue Beards" by Willa Okati
Christopher, also known as Kit, had been sent to live with his uncle on his parents' death, a cruel man who had robbed Kit of his inheritance. Kit's lover, David, had been lost at sea a year earlier and Kit was still deeply grieving the loss. When the story opens Kit is twenty-one and he had had enough of his uncle and the grief, so he plans to sign onto a ship and join his lover in Davy Jones' locker. At the docks he runs across Paul, an old friend of David's, and while the two men are having words a pirate interrupts their conversation.
According to the publisher's synopsis "two young men are pressed into service on a pirate ship." Paul was taken against his will, but Kit was too busy being impressed by the pirate and went willingly. Almost like a bit of hero worship. It was because of Kit's foolishness that Paul was pressed into service to begin with, and Kit was so wrapped up with himself that Paul's circumstances didn't even bother him. Of course now Paul, out of a promise to his dead friend, feels a responsibility to protect Kit. Not that Kit even wanted to be protected. If I were Paul I would have thrown Kit's sorry behind overboard as fish bait. Obviously, I had a serious problem with Kit's characterization. I know he was supposed to be a little naive, but to me he just came across as a petulant child, and I kept imagining him with a pout on his face throughout the entire story.
note: I'm giving the book 5 stars since I thoroughly enjoyed the first three stories, and concerning Willa's, it's one man's trash, another man's treasure kind of thing.
Summary of Galleons and Gangplanks
Pirates! Rapiers! Cannons and flintlocks! These are all the idea behind Galleons and Gangplanks. Bringing back the days when pirates ruled the high seas, this collection of stories has no shortage of adventure, danger, and excitement. From Sean Michael comes Searching the Seas, a story about an honest man kidnapped by pirates, used as collateral for a trade between the pirates and the seaside village at their mercy. Things are not always as they seem, though, and soon the constable and the pirate Captain are learning to love, and live, with the past and the future. Julia Talbot's The White City takes on the Barbary Coast, with a legendary privateer meeting his match in an Algerian sheik. But who is the captor and who is the slave in this game of cat and mouse that runs from the sun baked streets of Algiers to the waves beyond the shore? Mychael Black's Fool's Gold is a romp in the best pirate tradition. Searching for his father's lost gold, a young man teams up with a salty veteran to follow a treasure map. Can the two of them find something in common besides a lust for coin? In Willa Okati's Of Boats and Bluebeards two young men are pressed into service on a pirate ship, one of them slated to be the Captain's new toy, the other set to backbreaking work. Can Kit and Paul find a way to escape, and to share the budding love they find with each other? Get your arrr! on. Grab Galleons and Gangplanks today!Gay Books
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